The Southwest Lower Peninsula Forest Legacy Area
The Southwest Lower Peninsula FLA includes all the lands in the municipalities listed
below.
Table 5. Local units of government included in the Southwest Lower Peninsula FLA.
MUSKEGON COUNTY
BLUE LAKE TOWNSHIP
CEDAR CREEK TOWNSHIP
DALTON TOWNSHIP
EGELSTON TOWNSHIP
FRUITLAND TOWNSHIP
FRUITPORT TOWNSHIP
HOLTON TOWNSHIP
LAKETON TOWNSHIP
MONTAGUE CITY
MONTAGUE TOWNSHIP
MUSKEGON CITY
MUSKEGON HEIGHTS CITY
MUSKEGON TOWNSHIP
NORTH MUSKEGON CITY
NORTON SHORES CITY
ROOSEVELT PARK CITY
SULLIVAN TOWNSHIP
WHITEHALL CITY
WHITEHALL TOWNSHIP
WHITE RIVER TOWNSHIP
OTTAWA COUNTY
CROCKERY TOWNSHIP
FERRYSBURG CITY
GRAND HAVEN TOWNSHIP
GRAND HAVEN CITY
HOLLAND CITY
HOLLAND TOWNSHIP
OLIVE TOWNSHIP
PARK TOWNSHIP
PORT SHELDON
TOWNSHIP
ROBINSON TOWNSHIP
SPRING LAKE TOWNSHIP
LAKETOWN TOWNSHIP
LEE TOWNSHIP
LEIGHTON TOWNSHIP
MANLIUS TOWNSHIP
MARTIN TOWNSHIP
MONTEREY TOWNSHIP
OTSEGO CITY
OTSEGO TOWNSHIP
OVERISEL TOWNSHIP
PLAINWELL CITY
SAUGATUCK TOWNSHIP
SAUGATUCK CITY
TROWBRIDGE TOWNSHIP
VALLEY TOWNSHIP
WAYLAND TOWNSHIP
BARRY COUNTY
ASSYRIA TOWNSHIP
BALTIMORE TOWNSHIP
BARRY TOWNSHIP
HASTINGS CITY
HASTINGS TOWNSHIP
HOPE TOWNSHIP
IRVING TOWNSHIP
JOHNSTOWN TOWNSHIP
ORANGEVILLE TOWNSHIP
PRAIREVILLE TOWNSHIP
RUTLAND TOWNSHIP
THORNAPPLE TOWNSHIP
YANKEE SPRINGS
TOWNSHIP
EATON COUNTY
BELLEVUE TOWNSHIP
CALHOUN COUNTY
ALLEGAN COUNTY
ALLEGAN CITY
ALLEGAN TOWNSHIP
CASCO TOWNSHIP
CHESHIRE TOWNSHIP
CLYDE TOWNSHIP
FENNVILLE CITY
FILLMORE TOWNSHIP
GANGES TOWNSHIP
GUNPLAIN TOWNSHIP
HEATH TOWNSHIP
HOLLAND CITY
CONVIS TOWNSHIP
PENNFIELD TOWNSHIP
KALAMAZOO COUNTY
ALAMO TOWNSHIP
COMSTOCK TOWNSHIP
COOPER TOWNSHIP
KALAMAZOO CITY
KALAMAZOO TOWNSHIP
OSHTEMO TOWNSHIP
PARCHMENT CITY
1
PORTAGE CITY
PRAIRIE RONDE
TOWNSHIP
RICHLAND TOWNSHIP
SCHOOLCRAFT
TOWNSHIP
TEXAS TOWNSHIP
VAN BUREN COUNTY
ALMENA TOWNSHIP
ANTWERP TOWNSHIP
ARLINGTON TOWNSHIP
BANGOR CITY
BANGOR TOWNSHIP
BLOOMINGDALE
TOWNSHIP
COLUMBIA TOWNHIP
COVERT TOWNSHIP
GENEVA TOWNSHIP
GOBLES CITY
HARTFORD CITY
HARTFORD TOWNSHIP
LAWRENCE TOWNSHIP
PAW PAW TOWNSHIP
PINE GROVE TOWNSHIP
PORTER TOWNSHIP
SOUTH HAVEN TOWNSHIP
WAVERLY TOWNSHIP
BERRIEN COUNTY
BENTON HARBOR CITY
BENTON TOWNSHIP
BRIDGMAN CITY
CHIKAMING TOWNSHIP
COLOMA CITY
COLOMA TOWNSHIP
HAGAR TOWNSHIP
LAKE TOWNSHIP
LINCOLN TOWNSHIP
NEW BUFFALO TOWNSHIP
ST. JOSEPH TOWNSHIP
THREE OAKS TOWNSHIP
WATERVLIET TOWNSHIP
WATERVLIET CITY
CASS COUNTY
DOWAGIAC CITY
LA GRANGE TOWNSHIP
MARCELLUS TOWNSHIP
NEWBERG TOWNSHIP
PENN TOWNSHIP
POKAGON TOWNSHIP
PORTER TOWNSHIP
SILVER CREEK TOWNSHIP
VOLINIA TOWNSHIP
WAYNE TOWNSHIP
ST. JOSEPH COUNTY
FABIUS TOWNSHIP
FLOWERFIELD TOWNSHIP
MOTTVILLE TOWNSHIP
PARK TOWNSHIP
WHITE PIGEON TOWNSHIP
2
This FLA is nearly two million acres and is roughly 38% forested (Map17). Much of the
forested area is in the two largest public areas, Allegan State Game Area and Barry
State Game Area. There are private forests around both of these State-owned areas,
as well as forests clustered along the shore. Many of the near-shore forests are on old
dunes and are not only visually pleasing, but are important natural communities as well.
Allegan and Barry Counties produce large volumes of sawlogs, though none of the
counties are economically dependent on forests and wildlands. Portions of the FLA are
important for rare communities and species, and some is within a groundwater recharge
zone. Development pressure is relatively high.
Public Benefits
Public lands could benefit from additional buffering through the FLP in this Forest
Legacy Area. In addition, scenic forests along the coast of Lake Michigan could be
protected from development pressure and migratory stopover sites along the corridors
of the Galien and Paw Paw Rivers could be shielded from fragmentation. The few large
(over 1,000 acres) private forests that remain could be protected from fragmentation
and remain accessible for traditional forest uses.
The features of the Southwest Lower Peninsula forests that could benefit from the
Forest Legacy Program include:




Rare natural communities and rare and declining species
Significantly productive forests
Groundwater recharge areas
Scenic forests
Analysis: Meeting Eligibility Criteria
In order to qualify for inclusion in the Forest Legacy Program, an identified Forest
Legacy Area must meet the Eligibility Criteria as established by the State in its
Assessment of Need. In Michigan, the Eligibility Criteria are listed on pages 35 and 36
of this document.
The Southwest Lower Peninsula Forest Legacy Areas meets the Eligibility Criteria in the
following ways:
1.
2.
Demand for forested areas near or on shorelines is rapidly increasing. this
accrues a corresponding increase in property value thereby making the sell-off of
said lands more attractive to those private individuals now owning these lands.
The Southwest Lower Peninsula FLA is relatively close to the metropolitan
Chicago area. Like the Northwest Lower Peninsula FLA, it too has an
abundance of hill, morainal topography, many scenic vistas along its coastline,
quaint villages, its residents have relative ease of access to cultural and urban
amenities and ease of access via the county and state highway system.
3
Map 17. Public ownership and forest cover in the Southwest
Lower Peininsula proposed Forest Legacy Area.
4
3.
4.
5.
Given Michigan’s current tax laws to tax lands for their highest potential use, tax
assessments per acre for forestlands adjacent to developed areas will increase,
increasing the tax burden for forest landowners, making sale of said lands more
likely due to inability to pay future taxes. .
The above will result in increased fragmentation of forestlands and a decrease in
the amount of land available for traditional forest uses, public access as well as
negatively impacting habitat for threatened and endangered species.
Important public values provided by the Southwest Peninsula Legacy Area
include:
a) Scenic resources and public recreation opportunities – Like the
Northwest Lower Peninsula Legacy Area, the shoreline of Lake Michigan
attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors each year and has over 100
hundred miles of sand dunes lining its coast. The majority of this FLA and
its dunes are within 2-3 hours drive from the 8 million residents of the Chicago
metropolitan area.
b) Habitat for known rare, threatened and endangered species - Within this
FLA is the primary habitat for two species of butterfly federally listed as
endangered. These species are the Karner Blue and the Mitchell’s satyr
butterfly. Key to maintenance Karner Blue habitat are conservation of areas
typically referred to as oak savannas and oak barrens within this FLA.
c) Traditional Forest Uses – The combination of good soils and relatively mild
climate provide for an optimal environmental for the growth of veneer quality
hardwood from prized hardwood species such as black walnut, black cherry,
red oak and tulip poplar. Much of the area within or adjacent to this FLA is
considered to have the highest amount board feet of veneer quality
hardwoods (with the exception of sugar maple) in Michigan. Like the
previous FLAs, conservation and protection of private forest lands will help
ensure forest-based recreation including hunting, fishing, hiking and power
watercraft based recreation. Portions of privately held forested area within this
FLA are under strong development pressures and loss of these forests and
public access would diminish tourism, various recreational activities and the
production of high quality forest products.
d) Other ecological values – This FLA has over 25,000 acres of high quality
coastal dune area as well as having portions designated as having a
ecologically significant density of globally imperiled plants and animals
Public Involvement and Concerns
One meeting was held Kalamazoo, Michigan. Only one person attended this meeting.
This person expressed two concerns: 1) this program should strive to have language
permitting public access in the majority of conservation easements given that local
businesses rely on direct and indirect revenue accrued from persons hunting on
privately owned forestlands with the Southwest Lower Peninsula FLA, and 2) escalating
property taxes on forestland are a particular threat to conserving environmentally
sensitive forests in the Southern Lower Peninsula. Local governments within this FLA
were contacted. However, no local units of government provided any comments
regarding Michigan’s AON.
5